The Choson state (1392-1910) is typically
portrayed as a rigid society because of its hereditary status system,
slavery, and Confucian gender norms. However, The Emotions of Justice
reveals a surprisingly complex picture of a judicial system that
operated in a contradictory fashion by discriminating against subjects
while simultaneously minimizing such discrimination. Jisoo Kim contends
that the state's recognition of won, or the sense of being
wronged, permitted subjects of different genders or statuses to interact
in the legal realm and in doing so illuminates the intersection of law,
emotions, and gender in premodern Korea.

A few blurbs:

"The Emotions of Justice is well
written... [and] provides an illuminating analysis of the relationship
between the state and its subjects before the modern era. This is a
sophisticated addition to our understanding of gender roles in Choson." -- Donald Baker

"Its focus on gender and social status makes The Emotions of Justice
a significant contribution to the study of Korean legal history. That
women, even women slaves, were treated as legitimate legal subjects
opens up fascinating tensions in our understanding of the highly
stratified and status-conscious Choson society." --Maram Epstein